Strip coiler



H. L. F. BOND Aug. 13,1963

STRIP COILER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1960 INVENTOR HARRY L-E BOND Q 7kg,

ATTORNEY H. L. F. BOND Aug. 13, 1963 STRIP COILER Filed Oct. 18, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HARRY L.F. BOND BY L7 Arlfl Aug. 13, 1963 H. L. F. BOND 3,100,605

STRIP COILER Filed Oct. 18, 1960 5 SheetsSheet 4 lNVENTOR HARRY L.F. BOND JL7 Q ATTORNEY Aug. 13, 1963 H. L. F. BOND STRIP COILER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 18, 1960 lNvENTciR HARRY L.F. BOND ATTORNEY Unitcd States Patent 9"" 3,190,605 STRIP CUTLER Harry Laurence Fred Bond, Hathersage, Sheifield, England, assignor to Davy and United Engineering Company Limited, Shefiicld, England Filed Oct. 18, 196i], Ser. No. 63,436 Claims priority, application Great Britain Oct. 29, 1959 14 Claims. (Cl. 242-80) This invention relates to strip mills and is particularly concerned with coilers for accumulating the strip coming oil the mills at high speed. At present, the strip leaving the mill is conveyed on a roller table to a series of coilers located beneath the roller table and each communicating with the roller table by a. movable gate and a guide passage; when one coiler has received its full complement of strip, its gate is moved to divert subsequent strip further along the roller table to another coiler, while the coil of strip is removed from the first coiler.

The coiler is naturally of robust construction and comprises an expansible mandrel, on which the strip is coiled, and a series of alternate wrapper rolls and guides spaced round the mandrel for threading the strip automatically onto the mandrel and holding it to the mandrel during the initial turns of the mandrel. At present, the roller table is secured above the coilers, which are immovable relative to the roller table. As a result, failure of any coiler, requiring dismantling, firequently prevents use of the roller table and a hold-up in production. Even when dismantling is not required, maintenance personnel is required to work beneath the roller table carrying hot strip and the work can. only be done under conditions of inconvenience.

In accordance with the present invention, a coiler comprises a mandrel. about which the strip is to be coiled, a stripconveyor located over the mandrel, and a Wrapper assembly mounted for removal relative to both the mandrel and the strip conveyor. The wrapper assembly is more susceptible than the mandrel to damage resulting from the coiling operation and the wrapper assembly is therefore usually required to be repaired at more frequent intervals than the mandrel. By making the wrapper as sembly removable relative to the mandrel, the wrapper assembly can be removed when repair is required, with out altering the position of the mandrel, which is less adapted for movement. Further-more, the rernoval of the wrapper assembly away from the mandrel facilitates. removal of the mandrel when required.

In a preferred form of the invention, a coiler for metal strip comprises a mandrel about which the strip is to be coiled, a wrapper assembly for inducing wrapping of the leading end of the strip about the mandrel, a roller table passing over the mandrel to a further coiler position, and 'a gate for [optionally directing the. strip on the roller table to the coiler or to the further coiler, the wrapper assembly being mounted independently of, and removable relative to both the roller table and mandrel.

The invention will be more readily understood by way of example from thefollowing description of coilers in accordance therewith, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a section. on the line I-I cf FIGURE 2, showing a coiler having two wrapper rolls,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the coiler of FIGURE -1,

FIGURE 3 is a detail view showing the mounting of a wrapper roll,

FIGURE 4 a plan view of the coiler of FIGURE 1 showing the motors, and i FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, similar to FIGURE 1, but illustrating a modification employing four wrapper rolls.

3,1 00,6 05 Patented Aug. 13, 1963 Referring to FIGURES 1 to 3, the coiler comprises an expansible mandrel 12 and a wrapper assembly shown generally at 13. The wrapper assembly is constituted by two frameworks 14, 15, which are shown in FIGURE 1 as being of inverted U form round the mandrel 12.. The frameworks 14, 15 are tied together by ties 16 running parallel to the mandrel axis and the legs 17 of the frameworks carry on their lower surfaces slide blocks 18 which rest and slide on rails 24 21 respectively. It will be seen that rails 20, 21 have inverted V upper surfaces which mate with similar surfaces on the legs 17. The V form of the rails and of the mating surfaces of the legs 17 counter any tendency of the legs 17 to splay. The wrapper assembly 13 can thus be withdrawn on the rails 20, 21 parallel to the mandrel axis.

Two shafts 22 extend between the two frameworks 14, 1S and each carries pivotally a pair of arms 23. Each pair of arms 23-, in turn, carries a wrapper roll 24 and a curved guide plate 25. The arrangement is such that when the arms 23 are in the closed positions as shown, the wrapper rolls 24 lie closely adjacent the mandrel 12 and the guide plates 25 bridge the distances between adjacent wrapper rolls 24, apart from a space 29 permitting entry of the strip to the mandrel. Two of the ties 16 pivotally carry double acting air cylinders 26; the piston rod 27 of each cylinder 26 is pivotally connected between the arms of one pair of arms 23 at the end remote from the shaft 22. Cylinder 26 can be operated resiliently to urge the associated wrapper roll 24 closely adjacent the mandrel 12, as shown, or to withdraw the wrapper roll 24 and its associated guide plate 25 to an inoperative position, shown in chain line, and identified as 25a clear of a coil of strip of maximum permissible diameter on the mandrel 12.

The wrapper frameworks 14, 15 a1so carry brackets 28, one at each side of the mandrel 12. In turn, the brackets 28 carry rails 30 extending parallel to the axis of the mandrel 12 between the frameworks 14, 15. A stripper plate 31 runs on rails 30 by means of rollers 32.

In addition to the stripper plate 31, the coiler is supplied with a stripper carriage shown generally at 33. This carriage 33 has wheels 34 running on rails 35 which extend under the mandrel 12 and between the legs 17 of the wrapper frameworks 14, 15. The carriage 33 has a cylinder 36, the piston of which can be raised to elevate a pair of carrying rollers 37 located equally on opposite sides of the vertical plane through the mandrel axis.

A section of funnel-shaped guide 38 is also secured between the two frameworks 14, 15 and leads downwardly to a deflector roller 40 and a deflector plate 41. The deflector plate 41 is carried on sleeves on the shaft of deflector roller 4i? and is secured to brackets 42, which are coupled to extensions 43 of arms 23 by links 44. Beneath the deflector plate 4-1, the funnel-shaped guide is continued by a plate 45 carried on one pair of arms 23.

The coiler illustrated in FIGURE 1 is one of a series of similar coilers located beneath the normal ground level in a pit and separated by columns 46 on which a strip conveyor for the strip is carried. As shown in the drawing, the strip conveyor takes the form of a roller table which has driven rollers 47 and which is not supported by the miller, but, instead, the roller table is carried over the coiler on a bridge framework 48 supported at its ends on the pillars 46. One of the pillars also supports a lower pinch roll 50, the top of which is in the same plane as the rolls 47 of the roller table, and an upper pinch roll 51 carried on a shaft 52 displaced laterally from the axis of the lower pinch roll 50. Shaft 52 is carried on arms 53 pivoted on brackets 54 over the continuation of the roller table and arms 53 can be rotated on brackets 54 out of contact with the lower pinch roll 50 by a motor through a screw and nut (not shown). Immediately beincreasing thickness of the coil.

neath the upper pinch roll 51 is a gate plate 55 which, in the position shown, forms part of the funnel guide for the strip from the roller table to the coiler. Plate 55 is carried by a toggle 56 operated by a pneumatic cylinder 57; when the coiler illustrated is to be put out of use, the cylinder 57 is operated to raise plate 55 to the position shown in chain line and to prevent the entry of strip into the funnel guide and to the coiler.

FIGURE 4 shows, in plan view, the motor drives for thecoiler and it will be seen that the mandrel is carried in bearings 58, 60 and is driven by a motor 61 through gearbox 62. The wrapper rolls 24 are driven by independent motors 63 through propeller shafts 64, 65. The stripper plate 3 1 is driven by an independent motor 66 through shafting 67 at right angles to the mandrel axis. Shafting 67 drives pinions engaging racks on pusher rods 68 which are connected to the stripper plate 31 by disengageable connections 70.

When the coiler illustrated in FIGURE 1 is to be used for coiling strip on mandrel 12, the upper pinch roll 51 and the gate plate 55 are lowered to the positions shown, the pneumatic cylinders 26 are operated to urge the wrapper rolls 24 into their closed positions closely adjacent the mandrel 12, and the motors 51, 63 are set in motion. The strip 71 is delivered on the roller table in the direction from right to left in FIGURE 1 and is downwardly directed by the pinch rollers 50, 51 through the guide 38 to the mandrel. The leading end of the strip '71. is led and guided round the mandrel 12 by the wrapper rolls 2% and the guide plates 25 until SllifiClfiIlt laps have been wrapped to ensure successful subsequent wnapping of the coil, without the assistance of the wrapper rolls 24. During this initial period of wrapping, the arms Z3 are forced outwardly againstthe action of the cylinders 26 by the ter the initial period of wrapping, the arms 23 are withdrawn by the cylinders 26, so that the wrapper rolls 24 are clear of the maximum permissible diameter of the coil.

When the arms 23 are withdrawn by the cylinders 2a the links 44 cause the deflector plate 4-1 to be tilted about the axis of deflector roll 40 to permit the strip to pass from the deflector roll saw the coil without interference, regardless of the diameter of the coil.

When the strip has been fully coiled, the motors 61, 63 are de-energised and the upper pinch roll 54 and the gate plate 55 are raised to permit further strip supplied on the roller table to move over the rolls 47 on the bridge 48 to a. coiler to the left of that shown in FiG- URE l. The exp ansible mandrel 12 is collapsed, so as to release the adhesion of the coil to the mandrel, and the carrying rolls 37 are raised to support the coil loosely on the mandrel. The stripper motor 65 is set into operation so that the stripper plate 31 is driven to engage the rear end of the coil and force it along the mandrel. The stripper carriage 33 is withdrawn on the rails 34- at the same speed as the stripper plate, which ensures that all laps of the coil move together along the mandrel. The coil is thus carried by the rolls 37 oil the mandrel 12 to the position 72 in FIGURE 2 and may then be downended onto a truck for removal elsewhere. On removal of the coil, the stripper plate is withdrawn to its original starting position, and the cylinders 26 are operated-to place the wrapper rolls 24 into the position shown in FIGURE 1. The coiler is then ready for coiling the next strip, as before.

When the wrapper rolls 24 and/or the stripper plate 31 become damaged under the severe treatment to which they are subjected in operation, the clamps which hold the wrapper frameworks 14, 15 down on the bed during operationare released. The propeller shafts 65 coupling the motors 54 to the wrapper rolls are disconnected from the'wrapper rolls and the connections 70 for the stripper plates are broken. The wrapper assembly 13 with the wrapper rolls 24 and the stripper plate are then withdrawn on the rails 20 relative to the mandrel '12 and the roller table, until the wrapper assembly 13 is completely clear of the roller table. The wrapper assembly may then be readily repaired and serviced in relative comfort, since it is out of close proximity of the hot strip passing over on the roller table to other coilers of the bank of coilers and it is accessible to the shop crane. While in this withdrawnn servicing position, the operation of the wrapper assembly can be tested, since the air supplies and lubrication services are carried in flex ble trunking and are therefore available while in the withdrawn position. During this time, the mandrel assembly can be withdrawn from its bearings with relative case since it is now unencumbered by the presence of the wrapper assembly and since the bearings and drive for the mandrel are located to the side of the roller table, as are the motors 63, 66 for the wrapper rolls and stripping plate. During these repairs to the coilers, the production of the mill as a whole is not hindered, since the use of coilers on both sides of the withdrawn coiler is undisturbed, by virtue of the mounting of the roller table independently of the coiler being serviced.

Although FIGURES 1 to 4 show a coiler having two wrapper rolls, the coiler may equally Well have four, or six, or other number to wrapper rolls. An arrangement employing four wrapper rolls is illustrated in FIGURE 5, in which parts having similar functions to parts of FIGURE 1 have been given the same reference numerals.

In FIGURE 5, each of the four wrapper rolls 24 is carried with its guide plate 25' on a pair of arms 23, as before, and there arenow four cylinders 26, one for each of the wrapper rolls 24. In this instance, no stripper carriage, corersponding to carriage 33 of FIGURE 1, is supplied, the stripper plate 31 forcing the coil off the collapsed mandrel on to a waiting car. As a result, the frameworks '14, 15 have an annular form surrounding the mandrel 12 and, instead of the two invented V section rails of FIGURE 1 a single inverted V rail 75 and a flat rail 76 are provided. The annular frameworks I41, 15 have slide blocks 77, 78 which have surfaces mating with the upper surfaces of the rails 75, 76. The inverted V rail 75 serves to locate positively the assembly 13 on the rails while the flat rail 76 permits thermal expansion of the frameworks 14, 15, and thereby prevents possible stressing of the frameworks.

The operation of the coiler of FIGURE 5 is generally similar to that of the coiler of FIGURE 1, it being understood that the drives for the wrapper rolls 24, the mandrel 12 and the stripper plate are as illustrated in FIGURE 4, with the exception that in this instance there are four wrapper roll motors 63.

It will also be understood that where required a stripper carriage 33, similar to that of FIGURE 1, may be employed with a coiler having more than two wrapper rolls, the frameworks 14, 15 then having the inverted U form of FIGURE 1. Similarly, a two-wrapper, roll coiler may have no stripper carriage 23 and annular frameworks ll4, I5 may be provided. In the latter case, the arms 23 of FIGURE 1 may be carried on a single shaft 22 located below the mandrel 12. Again, the inverted V rail of FIGURE 5 and each of the inverted V rails of FIGURE 1 may be replaced by fiat beds, provided that some means for locating the frameworks '14, 15 on the beds are supplied.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and operation'of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that Within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

l. A coiler for metal strip comprising a mandrel about which the strip may be coiled, a wrapper assembly for inducing Wrapping of the leading end of the strip about the mandrel, a roller table passing over the mandrel to a further coiler position, and a gate for optionally directing strip on the roller table to the coiler or to the further coiler, the wrapper assembly being mounted independently of said mandrel and the roller table and removable relative to both said mandrel and said roller table in the direction of the axis of said mandrel.

2. A coiler for metal strip according to claim 1, in which the wrapper assembly is slidably mounted on tracks.

3. A coiler forrmetal strip according to claim 2, in which the tracks comprise one inverted V bed and one fiat bed parallel to the mandrel axis.

4. A coiler for metal strip according to claim 3, in which the Wrapper assembly comprises a plurality of Wrapper rolls mounted on an annular framework.

#5. A coiler for metal strip according to. claim 4, in which there is a stripper plate carried by the wrapper framework and movable along the mandrel axis.

6. A coiler for metal strip according to claim 2, in which the tracks comprise two inverted V beds parallel to the mandrel axis. 1

7. A coiler for metal strip according to claim 6, in which the wrapper assembly comprises a plurality of wrapper rolls mounted in an inverted U framework, the legs of which are located on the beds.

8. A coiler for metal strip according to claim 7, in which there is a stripper carriage movable between the legs of the wrapper framework.

9. A coilerfor metal strip according to claim 8, in which there is also a stripper plate carried by the wrapper framework independently of the stripper carriage.

10. A coiler for strip comprising a mandrel about which the strip is to be coiled, a conveyor passing over said mandrel for optionally leading the strip to a position therebeyond, and a wrapper assembly mounted for movement relative to both conveyor and said mandrel in the direction of the axis of said mandrel, between an operative position around said mandrel and an inoperative 6 position in which said assembly is clear of said mandrel and said conveyor.

11. A coiler for strip comprising an expansible mandrel about which the strip is to be coiled, a roller table passing over said mandrel, a gate for guiding strip alternatively to said mandrel and over said roller table to another coiler location, and a wrapper assembly including a frame independent of said mandrel and said roller table,wrapper rolls and guides carried by said frame, and rails on which said frame is mounted for movement relative to both said mandrel and said roller table in the direction of the axis of said mandrel.

12. A coiler for metal strip according to claim 11, in which the roller table is carried on a bridge over the mandrel and wrapper assembly.

13. A coiler for metal strip according to claim 11 in which the wrapper assembly has drive means mounted independently of the assembly and connected thereto by removable couplings.

14. A coiler for metal strip according to claim 11 comprising also a stripper plate guide carried by said wrapper assembly and drive means for the stripper plate mounted independently of the wrapper assembly and operatively connected to the stripper plate by disengageable connections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,871,665 Dallas Aug. 16, 1932 2,111,054 Paul Mar. 15, 1938 2,268,125 Nash et al. Dec. 30, 1941 2,526,010 Edstrom Oct. 17, 1950 2,756,942 Sieger July 31, 1956 2,779,550 -Muddiman Jan. 29, 1957 I FOREIGN PATENTS 957,208 Germany Jan. 31, 1957 

1. A COILER FOR METAL STRIP COMPRISING A MANDREL ABOUT WHICH THE STRIP MAY BE COILED, A WRAPPER ASSEMBLY FOR INDUCING WRAPPING OF THE LEADING END OF THE STRIP ABOUT THE MANDREL, A ROLLER TABLE PASSING OVER THE MANDREL TO A FURTHER COILER POSITION, AND A GATE FOR OPTIONALLY DIRECTING STRIP ON THE ROLLER TABLE TO THE COILER OR TO THE FURTHER COILER, THE WRAPPER ASSEMBLY BEING MOUNTED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID MANDREL AND THE ROLLER TABLE AND REMOVABLE RELATIVE TO BOTH SAID MANDREL AND SAID ROLLER TABLE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE AXIS OF SAID MANDREL. 